What do you see in me? (Tumblr promt)
by oneresilientheart
Summary: Regina makes Robin jealous provoking him with the stories and her ways as the Evil Queen. He reacts badly to it and she regrets her actions.


**This is a prompt sent by applepiemills (tumblr) - Regina makes Robin jealous and he reacts to it. Then she makes him a "apologetic" dinner. **

_I hope it works. _

* * *

She doesn't understand _why_ she's doing it. She is fully aware of _what_ she is doing, but not why. It is quite simple and it doesn't take too long either. She's manipulating him, manipulating him to look into a side of her that even her doesn't want to. But she's testing him in a test that there isn't an approved or failed status. Why is she doing this?

* * *

It's been a couple of weeks of Marian's death but quite a while since Robin confirmed his love towards Regina. That should've made things easier but it didn't. Since then she's been testing him and he knows it too well. It's quite simple. There's Daniel, a man she love deeply with an immature but pure love. Robin respects him and their relationship. He understands the pain of having your love taken away from you. He can relate with her and whenever Daniel becomes part of the conversation, he listens to her, asks about him and asks about her; he asks about a Regina that is long gone, but she's just another side of her.

Robin heard stories, many stories about the great and terrible, but also stunning Evil Queen. He was in the Enchanted Forest and the rumors ran wild about her. He became acquainted of her in the missing year, even though she was not terrible anymore, she was certainly stunning and regal. But he heard stories about how she used the men around her, about the mirror, about the huntsman, the hatter and so on.

* * *

So, it all started two weeks after Marian's death when Regina sought for Sidney. It was unsettling to find out she locked him in a cell, but he understood her reasons. Now, he was free and on afternoon she called Robin to come with her to talk to Sidney. Somehow she managed to be even more regal than usual; it's all about her posture, her mayor clothes and her eyes.

Robin watched her closely, and eventually she would glance at him with a fine grin. He was mesmerized by the power she had over Sidney, she was firm with him but more often than Robin desired she touched him. They were sitting side by side and he saw her grabbing his hands, and placing a hand on his knee… It was all on purpose. In fact, two main purposes: first, to get Sidney to do what she wanted, she knew that deep inside he still had hope that the Queen would devote herself to him; and, second, to provoke Robin, because since he faltered his own feelings being torn between Marian and Regina, the former Queen has been trying to make sure he's not going to leave her again.

He just watches, his blood boiling under his skin. When she's done, she nods to Robin, says one last goodbye to Sidney and walks to Robin's side.

"Did you get what you needed?" The question comes rougher than what he intended to be. She gives him a surprised but teasing look and says, "Are you jealous, thief?" The moniker hits him and he becomes serious so she adds,

"He's my servant Robin, he's just a devoted man, and one of the many I had. And, yes, I got what I needed." She then smiles and holds his hand. He rests the case for now while she leaves the Queen at the door and goes back to the Regina he's got to know.

"So, if you're done with whatever is angering you, I would love to spend a lovely afternoon with my outlaw." She, then smiles a smile that softens his own anger, he kisses her hand and leads the way.

* * *

A week later he overhears Regina talking to Emma about a man, one that clearly meant something to Emma and surprisingly to Regina too.

"I… I just wanted to say I'm sorry and to acknowledge my regret in what I did to him."

"Why did you do that? I mean I knew it was you but, why?"

"I can't justify most of the things I did in my past, Emma. I was reckless, I wanted to hurt you and that was an effective way to do it… But I never thought of his side and the consequences. He was a just and loyal man. I was filled with anger that you took him away, and I was also scared that he would remember everything."

"I can't say that I'll forgive you, Regina. Though I will say that I believe in you."

"It's fair enough."

Robin hears the other woman leave and he waits a little to come downstairs. He found her sitting on the kitchen with a glass of cider on her hands. She's blankly staring down and she doesn't hear him coming.

He's close to her when she reaches his eyes.

"Are you ok?" he asks.

"Yes. I'm just… thinking."

"Thinking about your conversation with Emma?"

She stiffened with the bluntness, "Yes."

"Can you tell me what it was about?"

She looks at him and he saw it, the moment she decided to defy him.

"Yes, I suppose I can. Ask what you want to know… But I'll tell you now that whatever you're about to find out it's not going to be pleasant." She coldly grins. But he knows better than that, he can see what's she's doing.

"Who's he?"

"His name _was_ Graham. He was the huntsman back in the Enchanted Forest."

"I've heard of him, he was the one to hunt down Snow White."

"That's correct. I hired him to do that and in return he asked me to banish wolf hunting. So I gave him that. Here he was the Sherriff. He was also my lover." She paused and looked at him. His eyes were heavy and hers were dark.

"I took his heart, therefore, you already know it, feeling is a strange matter when you don't have your heart. And, I… tricked him. I seduced him to fill up a void I had. When Emma arrived in town he felt a genuine attraction to her and she liked him in return. When I felt I was loosing him I decided I was not going to let her have him either… So I crushed his heart and he died on her arms. I regret what I did. But I can't undo it."

She kept going.

"I manipulated him into desiring me, I used him, tricked him, desired him too and…"

"Regina, stop!" He was frustrated with her. "Why are you telling me this?"

"You asked me to."

"No. I asked you to tell me what happened. Not to manipulate me into reflecting upon the person you want me to believe you still are. I'm not afraid of you Regina, I don't believe you can do to me whatever you did in your past to Sidney, Graham and who else."

"How are you so sure I'm not using you?"

"When are you going to surrender Regina? I love you, that should be enough." He needs to leave before he says something he doesn't want to… But it comes out before he thinks, "If you want me to look at you as the Evil Queen, just tell me and I'll do it. Do you want me to yearn for you to do with me what you did with Sidney? You don't need to seduce me Regina. I met the Queen; I wouldn't serve her for her stunning looks or seduction. I would serve her, as I have had, for her honorable character and her selfless heart. "

She winces when she hears the title coming from his mouth. He just leaves and she's full of regret. She knows she didn't need to test him; he loves her for who she is now.

* * *

He comes home later that night. The lights are off except for the low light of the fireplace. He sees her silhouette on the floor and he approaches her.

"Regi…" He stops to admire her sleeping wrapped on a blanket with a full supper served, supper for two. He thinks that she's probably been waiting for a long time now, and he wishes he had come back home earlier. He sits beside her and rubs his finger on her cheek very gently to now startle her.

"Regina, milady, wake up"

She turns her head slowly and opens her eyes. She meets his soft grin.

"Hi. Are you hungry?"

"That I am." He takes her hand and kisses it. "I'm also sorry."

"Robin, don't be. I… It was my…"

"Let's eat. Shall we? I'll take care of the fire, it's getting cold in here."

She sighs and sits down fixing his plate and pouring some wine for both of them. She watches him moving the wood, takes a deep breath and says,

"I did it on purpose." He looks back with a curious look, and then he comes closer to her.

"I provoked you because I was… I was afraid that something else from my past showed up and you would leave me. So I tested you, I tried to make you see the person that I used to be… but sincerely I can't be her anymore."

"I knew what you were doing. I saw you doing it, but I lost control anyway. You see, Regina, I love you too much. You can hurt me, I'll be fine. But I can't. I can't accept you hurting yourself, and I know how much it affects you to go back to those days."

He kisses her gently and then looks her in the eyes.

"I'm going to tell you this, and hopefully you will believe me."

She's stiff, she's out of her comfort zone and he knows it. She lowers her eyes and he cups her face.

"Look at me, Regina. You tell me stories of your youth. And I am always mesmerized for your bravery, your belief in true love, by you selflessness saving Snow White… Young Regina was beautiful and pure. You tell me about your early years as the Queen. And, I see your strength and struggle, and all I want to do is to save you from that life. You tell me about the Evil Queen, and sometimes I fear her, but mostly I pity her. I also laugh at her… your, stubbornness. I admire your ability to rule, you truly were a leader. But, you see, Regina. I wouldn't love any of those women. At least, not separately. I love who you became, you're all of them to some extent. But you are Regina, you're not so naïve anymore, you matured, you're still a courageous ruler, you're strong, and stubborn, you're mean when you want to, but mostly sassy and sarcastic, both of which I adore, you're as selfless as you've ever been, you love deeply, you are true to your feelings, and there's not one emotion that goes through you that I can't see. You're honest and blunt. You are the woman I fell in love. All of you, why do you want me to focus on only one side of you?"

"I'm more complicated than it seems, isn't it?"

"That you are, my Queen."

Her eyes are full of tears, but they are not sad tears. She's relieved that she was accepted for who she is, with no expectations or disappointments.

"I love you, although you need to be patient with me, I'm still remembering what if felt like to love and be loved in return."

"I'll be here."

"Shall we eat?"

"Or course."

* * *

**So, good enough? I hope you enjoyed it.**


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